angregation Beth Shalom
invites the community
to a tribute dinner
honoring

011 Bus

Huntington Woods man pleads guilty
in Israel oil-drilling scheme.

ALAN ABRAMS

Suzanne and Burto
Shifman

\‘‘

ndy and Dr. David
Kirsch

for their leadership of the congregation's
successful Capital Campaign

Sunday,
September 17, 2000

Congregation Beth Shalom
14601 W Lincoln
Oak Park

Cocktails and silent auction at 6 p.rn.
Program, dinner and dancing to follow

Music by Kol Sasson Klezmer Band
of Chicago

Gail Langer
Dinner Chair

Gail Elkus Rosalie Gold
Dil;fier Ca-Chairs

$150 per person e. Black tie optional

Reservation deadline September 1

8/18
2000

14

For reservations and info' rmation,
call Congregation Beth Shalom
(248) 547-7970

Special t6W9e Jewish News

would be cheated once again if they're
deprived of an opportunity to con-
front Yaker in open court.

wo of the Jewish victims of
Mail Fraud Charge
Birmingham lawyer Barry D.
Yaker's failed scheme to drill
Yaker entered a plea of guilty on Aug.
for oil under Israel's Dead
8 in federal court in Detroit. He was
Sea are unhappy with the terms of a
charged with mail fraud stemming
negotiated federal plea that would send
from checks-sent to hiin in the mail,
him to piison for up to 21 months.
includinsiorie•for $108_,000 - by a
"He [Yaker] stole $2.1 million. If
Chicago investor.
you do the math and he serves 21
Yaker raised more than $2 million
from a roster of investors,
months, he's getting
$100,000 a month for sit-
including local business-
ting in a country-club fed-
men. Authorities say Yaker
eral prison," said West
spent at least $1 million of
Bloomfield businessman
that amount on himself,
Martin L. Abel.
paying for his homes in
Abel said he has spent
Aspen, Colo., and
more than $196,000 of his
Huntington Woods, as well
own money in trying to
as jewelry, luxury vacations
bring Yaker to justice and
and other personal expenses.
that he and his family had
The attorney faces a max-
imum penalty of five years
lost $72 000 in Yaker's
in prison, a fine of
scheme.
Barry D. Ya ker
Yaker, 65, of Huntington
$250,000, or both. He must ;
also serve two to three years
Woods pled guilty to
defrauding investors in Independent
of probation and make restitution of
Oil Partners Ltd: An attorney with a
up to $68,900 to his victims.
practice in Birmingham, Yaker alleged-
Yaker's lalklicense would be sus-
ly used the money for personal expens-
pended automatically if Judge Rosen
es rather than paying the costs of the
accepts the plea. -Yalcer remains free on
drilling project.
bond pending sOrftehei
"I don't want to sound negative,
In an unu s ual-=acknoWredgment,
Abel received credit in the announce-
but 21 months is inadequate" for
Yaker's prison term, Abel said. "It took
ment of the settlement by U.S.
me almost five years to get to this
Attorney Saul A. Green for "having
point. I intend to protest the 21-
pursued this matter vigorously" and
month sentence through the only legal
for compiling "a great deal of the
means I have — a long and detailed
information necessary to bring the
letter to [U.S. District] Judge [Gerald
case to this stage."
Abel became suspicious of Yaker's
E.] Rosen."
Judge Rosen is scheduled to sen-
excuses for why there was no drilling
tence Yaker on Nov. 8. The judge is
at the well site in Israel and filed a
not required to accept the plea negoti-
civil suit against Yaker in 1996. Abel
ated by federal prosecutors and Yaker's
won a judgment for the $72,000 he
attorney, who is Neil Fink of
invested, but has not been able to col-
Birmingham.
lect. He turned over information he
"This is not sour grapes," Abel
assembled for the civil suit to -
said. "I just want there to be some
Birmingham police, who began their
level of punishment indicative of the
investigation of Yaker in 1997.
great harm he has caused to a lot of
Geologist Fishman also filed a civil
people, other than those who could
suit against Yaker in a Texas federal court.
afford the loss."
He won a judgment for $514,000 plus
Petroleum geologist Noah Fishman
of Midland, Texas, said Yaker's victims
OIL BUST on page 16

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